Student Union
- By Sal Nicosia
How Much Basketball Does It Take to Limit 'Freshman 15'?
Telling students how long it would take to burn off the meal in front of them might help control “freshman 15,” or the additional weight students gain when dining buffet style at college.
Many students elect for quick and easy meals that are typically high in fats and carbohydrates, and drinks that taste more like sugar than water. But labeling may “decrease students’ consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and increase consumption of water, fruits and vegetables," said Mary Scourboutakos, a nutrition expert at the University of Toronto who was part a team of researchers who studied the eating habits of students at the university.
The study was conducted at the University of Toronto in a dining hall that offered students various meal and beverage options. It used the physical activity calorie equivalent (PACE) labeling, which shows what amount of exercise it would take to burn off calories in the food.
gained the freshman 15 in 3 days. Ate a panda express 2 entree plate and chipotle burrito in 1 sitting. Ballgame
— Yoan your own (@drunkenKaner) October 24, 2017
For example, to burn off 1,000 calories, it would take two hours of hiking, 90 minutes of basketball or 80 minutes of soccer, says Men's Fitness magazine. Nearly 1,000 calories can be consumed in a meal of medium-sized french fries (365 calories), fast-food cheeseburger (300 calories), and 1 liter cola. (310).
Researchers placed posters around campus that explained the PACE scale and measured before and after responses.
"We found a significant increase in students drinking water before versus after the intervention, with 43 percent choosing water before and 54 percent doing so after," Scourboutakos said."Likewise, trips to the fruit bar increased by six percent and trips to the salad bar increased by 12 percent."
Chef Jaco Lokker, University of Toronto director of culinary operations, told the student-run UT press that “all the menus have gone through a full redevelopment.”
I feel like the freshman 15 is not a bad thing because it gets cold and the extra pounds could make the walk accross campus warmer
— Chayton Fivecoat (@C_fivecoat85) October 24, 2017
A Reddit user and Toronto student with the user name "polargus" praised campus dining facilities, but cautioned others to choose their foods wisely.
"The cafeterias at the colleges are generally good," he said."I would avoid the fast food places on campus, they're not great, and definitely not great for you.I ate hot dogs from the stands almost every day in first year, learned the hard way that how you eat affects how you feel (and how much you weigh)."
The immense dining facility at University of Massachusetts-Amherst offers a wide range of food, including commercial eateries Harvest Diner, Traditional Oaxacan, Alaskan Seafood, and Tastes of Home.The last one uses family recipes donated from the student body to create meals.The dining halls are the largest on campus facilities in the nation, serving nearly 45,000 meals a day.
UMass-Amherst is a perennial favorite among college ranking services for its food court.
“We chose UMass Amherst because ... our selections are primarily based on our surveys of administrators at several hundred four-year colleges.We also visit dozens of colleges each year and give considerable weight to opinions of our staff and our 24-member National College Counselor Advisory Board," said Princeton Review, a rankings publication not affiliated with Princeton University.
"Most importantly, we look at valuable feedback we get from each school’s customers, our surveys of students attending them.”
UMass Amherst student Matt O’Malley concurs.
“The food at UMass lives up to it’s reputation. It's fresh, healthy, and there’s something for everybody.”
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Trump administration opens antisemitism inquiries at 5 colleges, including Columbia and Berkeley
The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.
It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.
In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.
Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.
Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.
"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.
The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.
An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."
House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."
Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.
Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.
The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.
"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."
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The Times of India breaks down the most popular subjects for international students to study in the U.S.
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British student talks about her culture shock in Ohio
A British student who did a year abroad at Bowling Green State University in Ohio talks about adjusting to life in America in a TikTok video, Newsweek magazine reports.
Among the biggest surprises? Portion sizes, jaywalking laws and dorm room beds.
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